Measurements & Sound Quality

[iaval]

If I want to measure by ear, where should I connect the test probes? I tried various sockets and none seems to be compatible with any standard oscope 50Ohm probes. 

Should I try contacting the OEM for optional accessories?

[iaval]

23 minutes ago, Em2016 said:

 

 

Hehe, not sure anyone has suggested resorting to measurement by ear alone?

Some did, they'd say "use your ears", but I can't even find the service manual for that to check for input parameters. I tried all sorts of plugs, all sorts of configurations, impedances, standards and Vrms but I'm still getting no sound, only microsonics from the unstable connection. So I figured the best way to enjoy music is with a scope. 

[iaval]

1 minute ago, pkane2001 said:

And no warranty provided.

More puzzling is the fact that more than 108 billion pairs of them were made (7.6 bilion pairs are in active use) and they can get away with such borderline non-existent return policy.

[iaval]

Different question - would sighted listening test with a switchbox be accounted as statistically valid as long as the listener is not aware of which switch position corresponds to which tested gear?

[iaval]

On 12/12/2018 at 2:56 PM, pkane2001 said:

 

Good luck contacting OEM. Apparently he responds to a chosen few. Talk about poor support. And no warranty provided.

 

I got it figured out in the end. 

Turns out I just have to drill out the headphone socket, following instructions in this video:

 

For convenience I drilled one 3.5mm next to the ear for easy access. I plugged in 1/8" jack and immediately noticed 10kOhm load. Great! 1V RMS seems to be correct input voltage. I wonder if I drill one more hole next to it, maybe the system recognize the presence of another socket and switch to balanced mode. 

[iaval]

A good exercise might be to learn how a particular distortion sounds like (in exaggerated simulated scenario), and use that knowledge to confirm which measurement to use to confirm it. 

[iaval]

10 minutes ago, Jud said:

 

Particular distortions will bother different people to different extents. So you can learn the measurements that correspond to different distortions, and also which distortions matter more to you (and which less).

Particular distortion will usually show on more than one measurement method. Crossover, for example, is bound to be visible on spectrum and on the waveform. However my point was to exercise the hearing perception more on discerning these effects, the same way as mastering engineers learn to recognize a particular frequency band where a fix might be necessary. This also helps for communication with others - "this speaker is catching resonances around 800Hz", better than "something in the low-mids sounds funny". 

Next step might be perfect pitch. 

 

My point was to exercise this sense, as however imperfect it may seem, it's certainly possible to better it. 

 

[iaval]

7 hours ago, fas42 said:

 

Very true, but some of the worst offenders can't be easily 'canned' - that is, switched on and off to one's hearing, in a neat, controllable package.

 

Just take all the varieties of digititus - fans of analogue well know the irksome qualities of digital sound "not being quite right" - examples being a dull, listless presentation; or detail being lost in a "black hole"; or a persistent, disturbing edginess. These are all valid distortion artifacts; but how does one create a nicely predictable sample of each of these anomalies?

Isolating the elements is vital for proper identification and study. If those effects are real, there should be some reliable method of confirmation.

Once isolated, then try to figure out what's going on. 

[iaval]

45 minutes ago, fas42 said:

interatively introduced strengthening and workarounds, in the various parts of the chain, resolve these SQ issues.

Usually not without introducing other problems. 

45 minutes ago, fas42 said:

"ills" of digital sound

I'm a bit unclear on this - digital in this context is meant as PCM? 

The biggest problem with the CD era music IMHO is that dreaded loudness war, and the fact that many artists can't even render lossless track out of their DAWs and therefore supply labels with MP3s.